


Recipe for Disaster (Hungry like a Blackhole)

by Justm3h



Category: One Piece
Genre: Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fanart, Gen, Illustrations, Near Death Experiences, One Piece: Ace’s Story Spoilers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Thatch's Complicated and Upsetting Relationship With Eating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:27:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 3,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26763577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justm3h/pseuds/Justm3h
Summary: Thatch, as a chef, never considered that an ingredient would ruin his life like this.But it did.
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Thatch
Comments: 17
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to take up a bit of a personal challenge for this years October, a combo of art and writing I will likely reGRET.
> 
> I was also having big Thatch feelings so _suffer with me._
> 
> Chapters will be short but each will have an image.

_Just what was he going to do with this thing?_ Thatch wondered, staring at the purple fruit in his hand.

The strange swirls revealed the plant’s more menacing nature; a Devil Fruit. Thatch had been raised on tales that each fruit housed the soul of a demon, and when consumed the person was forced into a contract, power for the sea to damn you.

He had personally seen what one could do with the vast power, mundane as pockets or as grand as quakes.

The fruit before him was a mystery, no one seemed to know what the thing gifted. Haruta was getting in contact with the ship who had the encyclopedia, asking him to stop by so they could give an accurate description.


	2. Chapter 2

By ship code, the fruit was his to do with as he wished. But did he really want to eat the thing?

There were sure pros and cons, thoughts that had been piling up in his brain even during the journey back to the Moby. Ace had been so excited learning about his discovery, so much so Thatch had nearly eaten the fruit right there. Clearer heads won when Marco doused the Flame pirate’s fun.

Thatch could only know what the fruit wasn’t. Wasn’t ice nor light, shadows or sand. It was also not the one fruit he would have picked if given a choice, the Mera Mera. As that was currently Ace’s and he had no intention of killing his latest brother, it would remain his.

Thatch walked on deck with his muddled thoughts, the night sky clear above him.

"Beautiful night,” the man wondered to himself, looking up. The crew was all tuckered out from the party they had upon their return. A peaceful calm. 

Maybe it was that, the quiet that made him hear the near silent steps behind him, above the waves and the creaks of the ship. The innate knowing that no one needed to be that silent with their movements aboard the Moby.

It still didn't prepare him for the knife that entered his back.


	3. Chapter 3

The pain and force of the strike sent him to his knees in seconds, collapsing on his face soon after. He hadn’t suffered an injury like this in months, maybe years, his back protected by his family. It hurt unimaginable depths and hurt so much more when he heard the unmistakable laugh of what he thought was a sibling.

“ _ Zeha ha ha ha _ ! Ya really shouldn’ wander around with such valuable processions Commander Thatch.”

Teach.

Thatch spasmed, snarling out words through mouthfuls of blood, “I thought you--- wanted to eat the Suke Suke Devil Fruit?” The fruit was still in his hand, clutched in his grasp through the fall. 

“Ace and ya were the ones ta come ta that conclusion. What I want, ya found. I was willing to spend decades with this forsaken crew, I'm not gonna let a flimsy thing like  _ family  _ stand in my way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did read Ace’s story and yes, there will be references.
> 
> Also accent for Teach because.


	4. Chapter 4

A spine caught on his fingertips, as Teach yanked the fruit away. The traitor had really gotten him good it seemed as his vision flickered.

“It's too bad ya won’t be seeing the dawn, Commander. I’m going to bring about the new era of pirates with ta power this ‘ill give me.”

New--- Era?

“What do you--- mean?”

“Ya can’t really believe Whitebeard will be at the top forever? The Marines, the other Yonko, soon the world will know my name. Blackbeard, King of the Pirates.”

No!

“Never.” Hissed Thatch, grounding out his tone in fury and pain, glaring up at the man. “You’ll never be King.”

Teach only cackled, “And you'll never see another sunrise. Goodbye Thatch.”

He blacked out to the mad laughter echoing in his ears, his body growing weak, and the taste of betrayal on his tongue.


	5. Chapter 5

“---et me a stretcher!”

“Ay! You heard him, get the nurses!”

Shouts. They were so loud. His body felt both cold and hot, pain blazing on his back and warmth coming from his shoulder. Thatch blearily blinked up at the blurry mass that focused into Marco.

“Can you get the knife out?”

“No, yoi. He’d bleed out. And even if I wanted to-” The rest of Marco’s words slipped from the chef’s comprehension as the pain spiked. 

He had to warn him. Warn Pops. Everyone was in danger. No thanks to him. 

“-arco.”

“Thatch! Don’t speak.”

“Teach.”

“Teach? What do you-”

“It was--- Tea _c_ h.”

Marco cursed under his breath, shouting out new orders, “Where the  **hell** is Marshall D. Teach?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conveniently, Happy Birthday Marco!


	6. Chapter 6

The deck sprung into noise once again, Thatch finding it hard to pick one voice from all the others.

With his strength fading by the second, he managed to clutch on to Marco’s jacket.

“Took--- fruit,” Thatch wheezed, “Couldn’t--- stop him.”

“That’s what this was about?” Snarled Marco, shifting so the phoenix could hold the chef's hand. Thatch could only weakly squeeze back, savoring the warmth as everything grew colder.

“Sorry I wasn’t--- a better commander. Look after Pops? For--- me?” He tried to smile. Tried to hear Marco’s response. Tried to see his brother’s face one more time as his world faded into endless black.

===

_“SIR! We found the Devil Fruit!”_


	7. Chapter 7

Dark.

It was very dark. What had once been a childhood fear, was now oddly soothing. Not suffocating him but it was as if wrapped in a warm blanket.

_ Safe? _

Thatch let the warmth lull him into dozing, little specks of light coloring the landscape like stars. 

Voices of his brothers made colored specks wink into existence, voices of Marco and their newest brother Ace…

Fighting?

_“-I’m going after him!”_

_“Ace, this isn’t what Thatch would have wan-”_

_“Don’t you dare say that! Not with what happened! My division, my second, my responsibility.”_

_“At least wait for him to wake up, yoi.”_

_“I can’t, Teach already has too much of a lead. Pop’s has already given his permission.”_

_ “...I see I can’t stop you.” _

Thatch doesn’t want the star, his brother to go. Not after that monster. 

Not safe. 

Please. Don’t go. 

But the comforting abyss smothers him down with warm darkness, his thoughts and restlessness lulled into sleep once more.


	8. Chapter 8

Thatch is vaguely aware of the sounds and voices of those around him.

He hears Marco, telling him about his day, complaining that the nurses like Deuce more than him.

Hears Pops, how he’s sorry he couldn't protect his son or see the betrayal coming. For failing him as his captain.

A star for Izo, one for Jozu sparkling like his diamond powers, and even Haruta’s is small but just as bright as herself. More of his family filter into the growing night sky.

It was beautiful.

It was lonely.

The chef attempted to call out to them but his words had no sound. Nor could his arms move to reach them.

But worse yet…

Was the _hunger_.


	9. Chapter 9

The hunger had started inconspicuously enough. A dull ache Thatch had confused for longing as lonely as the void as becoming.

But it festered and grew with every star.

As something inside him looks and whispers-

_ They'd be delicious. _

Would they? Could he?

What would they taste like, he wondered, running through the possible recipes he knew so well. Like sugar candies of the same shape or of full meals?

If only he could reach out just a bit… more… and get just a taste.

And the most appetizing one at the edge of his grasp was the sparkling blue star.

Please, just a bit closer.

It was unbearable, the hunger, the emptiness and it would all be fixed if he could just reach that ligh-


	10. Chapter 10

Light?

Thatch blinked, looking at his hand stretched out ahead of him, reaching for… Something?

He… couldn't remember.

Why was he in bed? Why was he in a bed in the infirmary?!

Why was the light so bright?

“Sea’s can someone turn that down?” Thatch groaned, covering his poor blinded eyes with his arm.

“Thatch? Thatch!”

“Marco, why is your light so bright? How does anyone get any sleep in here?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, yoi,” but his brother complied, turning off the main light, leaving the room luminated by a lone lamp in the corner.

“So what happened? Why are you looking at me like that?” Marco just stood there, at the foot of the bed, staring at him. “Fuck, was it something bad?” The last thing he could remember was… The night sky, that Devil Fruit he found, and the cold chill of laughter?

“Do you even know you're doing that?”

“Uh, doing what?” He looked around but all he was doing was laying there, doing precisely nothing.

“Hmmm, must be another side effect,” muttered the doctor, as he grabbed the clipboard hanging from the wall and jotted down a note. “Do you think you can manage to sit up?”

“Yesss?” Thatch cautiously replied, he was for some reason in the infirmary after all. But as he pushed himself up, he didn't feel the pull of any wounds. 

He felt _**fine**_.


	11. Chapter 11

Marco grabbed a stethoscope and sat down on the edge of his bed. “I’m going to do a few tests alright?”

“Alright?! I’m freaking out here and you just want to do tests?”

Marco ignored him, putting in the eartips and holding up the chest piece, “Calm down. Now breathe deeply when I say so, yoi.”

“Marco!”

“Thatch, don’t make me get a nurse.” 

Thatch frowned, thinking he might just rather put up with the flirty nurses if they would actually answer his questions. Or he might get lucky and Deuce would be chosen. He’d been grateful to him ever since the chef taught Ace the ropes.

“Fine.” He’d let Marco have his way, breathing when told as the doctor presumably checked him over.

He kept watch as Marco’s face changed minutely, knowing his brother well enough to see past his facade. It was concern and puzzlement as he was doing the check up, low muttering of ‘still nothing on the right side’ and ‘no vision or hearing loss’. 

Thatch didn’t understand.


	12. Chapter 12

“Well, you seemed to have recovered from the attack. I am concerned about some new anomalies but we’ll keep an eye on them over the next few weeks.” Marco finally concluded, tucking away his tools.

“I’m gonna be real with you Marco. I legitimately have no idea what you're talking about.” 

The two brothers stared at one another.

“What.”

“Yeah, exactly, what happened?”

“You don’t recall anything?”

“No, that's why I keep asking!” Thatch threw his hands into the air, fed up.

“Don’t do that! You’re still recovering!”

“From what?!”

“Being stabbed in the back!” Snarled Marco.

Thatch froze. What? Stabbed?

Marco pinched the bridge of his nose. “I suppose it’s not too surprising you don’t remember… Trauma has a way of affecting the mind.”

“What happened?” Thatch repeated, a quiet whisper between just the two of them. He could see it now, the shadows under the doctor’s eyes, paler than the phoenix man had any right to be. Had he been eating right?

What about Pops?

“Marshall D. Teach betrayed us, stabbing you for that Devil Fruit you found. You’ve been in a coma for a few weeks now.”

What?

“It would have killed you too… If you hadn’t eaten the fruit before him.”

“I did WHAT?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Part 1. Please be patient as I take a few days to figure out upcoming chapters and art. <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So begins Part Two! Enjoy.

Over the next few days, Thatch was not allowed to leave the infirmary. 

It made sense as he had been in a coma for so long but the chef didn’t like it all the same. The extended stay left him with too much time to sulk and think.

The Yami Yami Fruit.

A logia that gifted the power of Darkness.

Certainly not Thatch’s first pick or anything on his top 5 but it seemed like he’d have to live with it now.

Literally, as Marco had been quick to inform him. The fruit had patched where he had been stabbed internally, replacing his entire right lung with darkness. It mimicked his left lung perfectly but did not actually take in air like normal. The doctor couldn’t exactly explain but promised that fruits don’t hurt their users.

“Unless you want to hurt yourself, in which case we need to have a long talk.”

“No, nothing like that from me.”

It had a worrying small summary in the encyclopedia of Devil Fruits, a great deal of the fruit’s abilities left unknown even to himself.

Some things were abundantly clear, the wisps of smoke like blackness fuming off of him sometimes. 

“Do you have any control over it?” Marco asked as they tried to practice with his new powers.

“Some.” The darkness would stay under his skin if he concentrated but would often escape as his mind wandered. He tended to get a little fuzzy if left in the dark for too long, his edges would start to blur and smoke with darkness. Thankfully they appeared to be harmless, having done nothing more than exist for the time being. 

Thatch was slightly unnerved by them, they seemed to have a mind of their own once again seeking out Marco’s fingers and weaving between them. He _felt_ that. Could Ace feel what his flames touched?

“Well, why don’t you try something.”

“Something,” the chef replied blandly. “Like what?”

Marco shifted slightly, blue flames flickering to life over his hand. “Devil Fruits often have more than one ability based on what they are and the user's creativity. Other than Darkness, the only other thing I can really confirm is the fruit is a Logia type. So all there is to do at this point is trial and error.”

“Oh?” Asks Thatch, watching the wisps shrink back from the flames. The information wasn’t much if anything useful. So what could he do? He focuses on the trail of darkness, reaching back out towards Marco’s blue fire.

Thatch could feel that too, darkness mingling with the cool impossible fire, but the truly odd thing was… The truly odd thing was the faint taste of pineapple pheasant.

The plumes of darkness grew, swallowing more and more of the flames.

“Thatch?”

Grew to cover fire, wrapping around Marco’s fingers and holding his wrist tight. And with it grew his hunger, Thatch couldn't help but find the desire strange and familiar.

“Thatch!”

There you are, little star.  Thatch closes his fist around the light. 

The flames are snuffed out like a match and so too does Marco’s energy, collapsing onto the cot. There’s a cry from a nearby nurse but Thatch’s focus is only on the little treat caught in his hand. It looks...

He doesn’t expect the foot lashing out at him, throwing his concentration and his grasp on the star. With its loss, the hunger fades once again. Thatch shakes his head, forgetting the feeling quickly. He blinks back to reality, quickly realizing he had really spaced out as there’s now a puffed up distraught Phoenix at the foot of his bed.

“What?”

====

Thatch really wished the encyclopedia had included that one of fruit’s powers was equivalent to seastone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are ready for SAD THATCH >8)c


	14. Chapter 14

“Who made this?!” Spat Thatch, forcing himself to swallow the gruel he was subject to, not willing to waste even the worst tasting food. Considering he had eaten a Devil Fruit, he was glad he was blissfully unaware of that taste but was more than willing to compare the two in spirit.

“You’re Sous Chef, who insisted he make everything for you during your recovery. The same one who’s been making your soup for the last few days.” Deuce said, honestly looking baffled at the reaction. Masked Deuce had taken over his recovery for the most part. Marco had been avoiding him for days now, not that Thatch could blame him. Really...

“That was meant to be soup?!” The meals he had been eating had hardly deserved being called that. With the bland or down right foul taste, Thatch had chalked it up to Marco dictating what he needed to be fed for his recovery. But Keifer was his second in command for a reason. Despite his age, his talents in the kitchen and with a rapier proved that. “There’s no way anyone in my division made that let alone Keifer.”

“Well it wasn’t Banshee so you can be thankful for that.” Muttered the wannabe doctor, taking the spoon for a taste himself. The masked man looked even more confused after the first sip.

“See, awful right?”

“It tastes great actually.”

“What?” He snatched back the spoon wondering just what the joke was. But another sip and it was the same foul flavor as before. “Ugh, what's wrong with your taste buds?”

“My taste buds? What about yours?!”

“Excuse you! Mine are perfectly fine!” They needed to be for cooking. _Please don’t let him lose that too._

“Right, sure they are.” But Deuce’s tone did not share his confidence.

“It’s not my fault the food has been spoiled the last few days.”

“You mean since you’ve woken up, nothing you’ve eaten has tasted good?”

“Yes-” Thatch paused, thinking back to the incident with Marco, a star with the passing flavor of pineapple. Not food, _not food_. “Yes.”

“How’s your sense of smell then?” Deuce asked, waving a pen at him. “Don’t look at me like that, taste and smell are known to be linked together.”

“I guess it's been…” Faint? He assumed being in the infirmary for as long as he’d been would have made him used to the smells of antiseptic but taking a deep breath, everything was muted. The same was true for the soup. Vague, but smelled far better than the taste. “Muted?”

“That might be it then. I’ll make note of it at least.”

“Will it come back?”

Deuce hesitated, “I’d have to consult with Marco but it’s rarely permanent. You should see changes as you recover. Or…”

“Or it could be another side effect of the fruit.”

“We don’t know that yet.”

But Thatch could feel his dread growing. 

The Yami Yami Devil Fruit was nothing more than a curse.

What more could it take from him?


	15. Chapter 15

A week after waking up, Thatch had enough, breaking his confinement to the infirmary and sneaking out.

The food was not getting better, the darkness still smoked off of him, and Marco was actively avoiding him. The only people he had to talk to were Masked Deuce and the rotating nurses.

All in all, it was pretty shit and he needed a break.

Getting down to his cabin was easy enough. It was nice to be back even if he was just grabbing a change of clothes. What the chef really wanted was a bath.

The showers had been fine, quick and effective. The thing he could have done without was the monitoring during said shower. It was uncomfortable and it only made him want a long, hot soak more.

This late at night guaranteed some privacy in the commander's only bath, most would be asleep by now or busy with their respected jobs.

Sure enough, the place was empty. Thatch let out a sigh of relief and started to undress, throwing the dirty clothes in the basket. Shirtless he looked at himself in the mirror.

Even in his appearance there were changes. He still had his ginger hair, though not styled up since the attack. Still had hair on his chest, freckles on his shoulders. Still broad, same height with a bit of a gut he hid with a belt.

Now, he had a dark scar on his back.

Now, he had black sclera and purple eyes. That glowed in darkness and cut through it leaving him with perfect vision even in moonless nights.

It scared his family.

It scared him.

Thatch looked away and finished undressing. He sat on a stool to quickly scrub himself down, if nothing just to keep the soaking water clean. Rinsing off, he was glad he could finally get in the oversized bath.

The first few steps into the bath were heavenly. It was the perfect temperature to relax in. He didn’t realize till he was sitting with water up to his shoulders that the numbness wasn’t from the heat. The chef tried to move an arm or a leg but found that he couldn’t move at all.

Right.

Of course.

Water.

Thatch groaned letting the only part of his body that he could move, his head, fall back against the towel by the rim. He had forgotten the biggest issue for a Devil Fruit user at sea was. 

Well, best case scenario was someone caught on real quick that he had dipped out. At worst, he’d be a bit wrinkly by the time someone found him. Still humiliating considering how many times in the past he had fished fruit users out of the ocean. The times where he shared the baths with his brothers to make sure they didn’t have an accident and drown.

“I’m never going to live this down,” Thatch moaned, depending on who found him at least.

Now all that was left was the wait.

It was still relaxing at least, as the minutes ticked by, he could even pretend this was just a normal bath. Let his mind wander, let his eyes drift shut. 

Stars followed him even under his eyelids. Sparkling at him in all colors. There was one little one, dashed with just a hint of orange that was coming closer.

The chef opened his eyes, turning towards the door when he heard footsteps coming closer, stopping just outside.

“I thought I’d find you here.” His hero turned out to be Deuce, who wasted no time trying to help him out of the water. “You forgot you were a hammer now, didn’t you?”

“I just wanted a hot bath,” Thatch whined, assisting as much as he could. When he was finally out, Deuce was soaked and water was everywhere. 

“If it makes you feel any better, Ace forgot the first few times as well.”

“It really doesn’t,” grumbled Thatch, getting to his feet. He was glad he was able to move again.

“Look, I’m not mad you pulled a prison break from the infirmary but I’m soaked. Want to meet up somewhere and chat?”

“Not going to send me back to lock up?” Thatch jokes, rinsing off from the soak.

“You’ll just leave again.”

Well, that was true enough. “Will the deck work? I really want some fresh air.”

The fake doctor waved his hand, snatching a towel and walking away. “Don’t do anything dumb.”

“Still not Ace!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marco: deal with my idiot while ur idiot ran off  
> Deuce: >8’(
> 
> Showers = Running water = Fine  
> Baths = Still water = Bad


End file.
